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Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Brownie Cookies)

These are the best fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies, also known as brownie cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy, perfectly fudgy with a slight crust - just like a brownie should be! A classic Christmas cookie that really should be made all year round.

 

Chocolate crinkle cookies, some opened, on a wooden plate.

 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are so easy to make, you absolutely DO NOT need a cake mix! Everything is so much better with just a few staple ingredients like flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Things you should be having in the first place.

 

These basic ingredients can turn into so many different recipes, and where's the fun in a cake box!

 

You will feel so much more accomplished by making it yourself, and bonus - you can brag about it. No one will know how incredibly easy it really was. Unless they ask for the recipe, which I'm pretty sure every chocolate lover will.

 

If you're ready to move on to super-easy cakes, I totally recommend this easy chocolate sheet cake. And it is easy to freeze (preferably in batches) so you can always have something to serve guests!

 

And speaking of both fudgy and easy, these orange chocolate fudge or double-chocolate caramel cookies should be next on your list of treats to try!

 

A stack of chocolate crinkle cookies, two top cookies are open in two.

 

Why are my chocolate crinkle cookies flat?

 

There are two (to three) main reasons why your chocolate crinkle cookies turn out flat. This can apply to any kind of cookie, it's cookie science.

 

1. You used butter in the batter.

 

I knooow, I'm a sucker for everything with butter. My classic brownies recipe does have butter, but cookies are a little different.

 

The problem with butter is that it melts. It melts at a much lower temperature than oil, which can lead to cookies spreading.

 

Another problem with butter is that if your butter was too cold, you need to cream the sugar and butter for longer, creating air in the batter. Too much air will make them rise - then fall - and spread in the oven.

 

This does not mean you can't use butter in any cookie recipe. In fact, I actually normally use butter in cookie recipes.

 

These Soft and Chewy Eggnog Cookies, Snickerdoodle Cookies, and Norwegian Christmas Men Cookies all use butter.

 

The clue is room temperature butter, which means you can make a small indent in the butter when pressing your finger in it. This way you cream the sugar and butter faster, avoiding all that air.

 

I sometimes also use melted butter, for example in these salted caramel-filled coffee cookies. As long as you chill the dough well afterward, it should be fine.

 

But as a safe bet, oil is easier to work with in the cookie department!

 

Creaming oil and sugar together in a glass bowl.

 

2. You didn't chill the dough for long enough.

 

The most boring part about making cookies is all that chill time. But it really does make a difference! I recommend chilling this chocolate crinkle cookie dough for at least 2 hours, but overnight is best (flavorwise).

 

The dough will be properly chilled and 1. they're easier to roll and 2. the fat are colder and solidified when coming into your oven, taking them longer to melt. Now the outside of your cookies will be done before the insides get the time to melt, which will lead to a fudgier and taller cookie.

 

You can get away with refrigerating cookie dough for 30 minutes. But if they turn out flat, that may be a reason for the spreading. If you chill the dough for longer, the flavors will incorporate, making it a deeper flavor as well - so there's a bonus!

 

Finished crinkle cookie dough in a glass bowl.

 

3. Baking at too high a temperature.

 

You could also be using a too-high temperature when baking the cookies, making the fat melt quicker. Cookies are usually baked at a temperature between 325F (160C) and 375F (190C), making 350F (180C) the perfect medium.

 

  • 325: Softer, chewier cookies because they take longer to bake.
  • 350: Cookies bake evenly, insides are done at the same time as the outside.
  • 375: Crispy edges with an extra fudgy inside. Can feel slightly underdone on the inside.

 

There are other reasons for why your cookies may spread as well, and you can read more about them here, although these are the most common.

 

Chocolate crinkle cookies on a wooden plate, flatlay.

 

Can chocolate crinkle cookies be frozen?

 

Both yes and no. If I were to freeze finished crinkle cookies, the powdered sugar can clump and form an unappealing coating on your cookies. And chocolate crinkle cookies are all about those perfectly white crinkles, right!

 

The best way to freeze chocolate crinkle cookies is to roll the cookie balls, do not cover them in powdered sugar, and freeze them on a baking tray.

 

Freeze until they are solid, before transferring them to an airtight freezer-friendly bag. Remember to write on the bag what kind of cookies, what time you froze them, and how to bake them!

 

Balls of chocolate crinkle dough on parchment paper.

 

When you are ready to take them out of the freezer, simply cover them in powdered sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them rest at room temperature while you pre-heat the oven.

 

You may need to add 1-2 minutes extra on the baking time but at the same temperature (350F).

 

This post has a lot of interesting mistakes to avoid when freezing cookies and cookie dough.

 

Quick about the recipe

 

We have now troubleshot what can go wrong in making cookies, and so I hope you will get the perfect cookies every time in the future. And I hope you have forgotten all about box cake mixes, we make better cookies so we don't need those right.

 

Here are some step-by-step photos of the super easy process:

Steps to make chocolate crinkle cookie dough. Steps to roll chocolate crinkle cookies.

 

  1. Cream together oil and sugar.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla.
  3. Mix some more.
  4. Add the dry ingredients in smaller batches, mix in between.
  5. Chill batter/dough for at least 2 hours.
  6. Roll into small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. Roll in powdered sugar.
  8. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10 minutes, rest on a tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

Scroll down to find a printable recipe card for these delicious chocolate crinkle cookies! They are best served with a glass of Dasher's creamy eggnog or sore throat tea with honey and ginger. Enjoy!

 

If you need more Christmas cookies inspirations, here are 25 Jolly Christmas Cookies.

 

Chocolate crinkle cookies opened, close up.

 

Did you like this recipe? Here's more delicious cookies recipes:

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

In order to keep the blog up and running this post may contain affiliate links, it will be at no extra cost to you, please read the disclosure for more information.

 

📖 Recipe

A stack of chocolate crinkle cookies, two top cookies are open in two.

Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Brownie Cookies)

Yield: 50 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

The best fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies, or brownie cookies. Soft and chewy, perfectly fudgy with a slight crust - just like a brownie should be! A classic Christmas cookie that should be made all year round.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour, 240g*
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 120g
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil, 160g
  • 1 ½ cups caster sugar, 300g
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, 50g, for coating

Instructions

  1. Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar for 1 minute (handheld mixer is fine). Add eggs and vanilla, mix some more.
  3. Add in the dry ingredients at intervals and mix in between each batch.
  4. Cover the bowl and chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 375℉ (190℃). And prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball and cover generously with powdered sugar. Add to baking tray with 2 inches between each cookie ball.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes**, chill 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

* I ALWAYS recommend using a kitchen scale when baking, this will ensure great results with more accuracy each time. 

** Time will vary depending a little on your oven. The cookies are done when they crinkle and have a slight crisp around the edges. They need to rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes to firm up. 

Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Make ahead tip: Freeze the dough balls, not covered in powdered sugar, on a baking tray until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer friendly bag. They will keep well for 3 months in the freezer. Add 1-2 minutes extra to the baking time.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 50 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 3.8gSaturated Fat: 0.9gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 12.3gFiber: 0.9gProtein: 1.3g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

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Cecile Glendening

Thursday 28th of January 2021

Just mixed these up, still chilling in the refrigerator. Are you sure about the weight of the cocoa powder? Most websites give a weight of 84 or 85 g for 1 cup cocoa. Maybe you used the weight of 1 c flour, which is 120 g. I used the standard weight for the cocoa, also added a bit of instant espresso powder!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Friday 29th of January 2021

Hello Cecile.

I would recommend using the weight mentioned (35g) and not cups. Scale is always more accurate when it comes to baking. I googled 5 US tbsp cocoa powder (what this recipe calls for), which is 37 grams in several sources. 1 cup = 16 tbsp, multiplying cocoa powder to get 1 cup it will be 118 grams. Interesting though, because you are right that when I google 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, it ranges from 80-120 grams. This is such a mystery! I will weigh and see for myself as well, but my conclusion is that it must be difficult to measure unsweetened cocoa powder by volume, so I would, as mentioned, recommend using weight.

Either way, I hope your brownies turned out good, and espresso powder is delicious!

Steph

Sunday 9th of August 2020

These taste so good!!! ❤️ I think I made a mistake though because my cookies stayed as balls instead of having any spread at all. Any thoughts on why this happened? Thank you!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 10th of August 2020

Thank you so much, dear Steph! I have a few theories.

1. Too much flour can be the culprit. Did you use the cup measurements? It's very easy to over measure when using cup measurements. You need to spoon your flour into your cups and then level the tops (don't pack it down). I will recommend using a kitchen scale, then you never have to worry about that anymore. :D

2. The cookie balls could also be too cold before placing them in the oven. I can't imagine that being the case though, since you are rolling them after chilling and they should warm up sufficiently.

3. A third theory is a too cold oven. Was it done pre-heating before adding in the tray of cookie balls? Maybe your oven is on the colder side as well, unfortunately, all ovens are not the same!

I really hope this helps and that you try again! Cookie season is just around the corner too!

Geetanjali Tung

Thursday 28th of November 2019

Yum! These look so good... Perfect for the season. I wish I would have few of those right now :)

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Thursday 28th of November 2019

Thank you so much!

Ramona

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Oh my goodness, these crinkle cookies look perfection, looks and texture wise, exactly what I love them like but never managed to deliver. Recipe saved, thanks for sharing, I cannot wait to make these little beauties.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Thank you so much, Ramona. I had some trial and error as well before landing on this recipe, and this one is SO EASY and perfect every time!

Jenni LeBaron

Tuesday 26th of November 2019

These chocolate crinkle cookies look so delicious! I would definitely gobble an entire stack of these up with a big glass of milk!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Tuesday 26th of November 2019

That is exactly what I did! Thank you so much.

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